table tennis

American  

noun

1. a game resembling tennis, played on a table with small paddles and a hollow celluloid or plastic ball.

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table tennis British  

noun

1. a miniature form of tennis played on a table with small bats and a light hollow ball

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Etymology

Origin of table tennis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Yarrow hopes that the Norway squad photo, which will sit next to a table tennis table at the side's Greensboro base in North Carolina, has the same impact.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Sabbir reads manuals on the theory of navigation, and Islamic texts—or plays table tennis with his crew.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

At the same time, Anta was slowly getting its name out domestically, opening new shops and partnering with major sporting events, including national basketball and table tennis competitions.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Most of the matches took place in 2025 — before table tennis tale “Marty Supreme” even hit theaters — although Ace defeated professional players as recently as March.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

I in turn would tell him about the table tennis and soccer tournaments I had participated in, the performance we had given for visitors, if there was any that week.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah